In terms of quantity, there is no doubt that the sorcerers living in this vast land far outnumber their European counterparts. In order to make the sorcerer society, which is much larger in scale, more organized and separate from the society of non-magical people, the Magicians' Council that governs this nation's magical civilization must exert much greater effort.
As the night grows deeper, the grand hall of the congress building, which exudes a profound heritage and an aura of ancient history, remains bustling with people. Everywhere are employees with anxious expressions and hurried steps.
Amelia stood in the elevator lobby waiting for the elevator. She raised her head and followed the moving elevator cabin up with her gaze, until it disappeared into the vast light source above the rooftop.
Although she has been working in the parliament for nearly half a year, every time she enters the parliament building and stands in the hall looking up at the roof, Amelia can't help but feel a sense of insignificance. It's just like when she first appeared on Mount Graylock as a descendant of a non-magical person and saw this world's best magic school - Iphamene Magic School - for the first time, her heart was filled with respect.
I'm not sure if Mr. Ammosta Bren has the ability to shake the Congress Hall - a completely absurd thought suddenly popped into Amelia's mind.
Albus Dumbledore is the greatest wizard of our time, Amostta Bren is the most powerful wizard of our time - Amelia knows that this idea is very popular in the European magical community, almost everyone thinks like that, but it's not a widely accepted view in America across the ocean.
Some officials in Congress, born into noble families, believe that Albus Dumbledore did indeed have some remarkable achievements. However, now he is an elderly man over a hundred years old. Even if Merlin were at this age, he probably wouldn't have much strength left and would no longer deserve the title of the greatest wizard.
She herself is not sure how she developed a sense of fondness and admiration for the man after seeing what he did in the newspaper for the first time. Unlike Mandy, Bren saved her family's lives, as well as her own. Perhaps it's because Ammosta Bren is from London, or maybe...
"Have you heard, Mr. Scamander is in New York."
"Oh, thank you."
Under normal circumstances, she would have simply handed over the proof she received from Chago to Ms. Ross, who was in charge of that matter, and that would have been that. However, due to her desire to express her grievances about the Security Department's unreasonable decisions, she needed to have a personal talk with the esteemed figure in Congress, the head of the Security Department, Mr. Travers Greyvis. If he were willing to give an ear to a new comer like her.
Amelia had heard something about the disappearance of magical creatures, after all, Chargo was punished for this, but she didn't expect that it would shock the famous Newt Scamander.
"This isn't big news, is it?"
A deep, middle-aged man's voice comes from behind the door.
"I am Amelia Det of the Witch and Wizard Immigration Office, sir--"
The companion of the wizard mentioned earlier shrugs indifferently.
"He comes here almost every few years. If you know him well, you'll know that his wife, Mrs. Tina Goldstein, is a native here. She was once an Auror in the Security Department."
Amostta Bren's rise to fame was undoubtedly the Quidditch World Cup final in August last year, where he displayed his unparalleled magical prowess before ten thousand wizards from around the world. However, the issue lies with the magic he used at that time.
Fortunately for Amelia, Mr. Greyvis's office window was still lit. Congress department heads would hold a high-level meeting every day after work, to report on the progress of current tasks in each department and exchange some information. If there were no urgent matters, attendance at the meeting was not required. Amelia had prepared herself for a long wait.
A considerable number of American academic witches hold the view that Amostta Bren used the Cruciatus Curse at that time. Setting aside the legality of this spell, the academic circles believe that perhaps Amostta let his Cruciatus run unchecked, then the destruction caused by this spell that night might have been even greater!
In his forties and at the peak of his career, Greyvis frowned slightly, the faint lines on his forehead, silently conveying authority. But soon, the lines dissolved, and Greyvis' expression revealed understanding.
"If I'm not mistaken, we've met once before, haven't we, Amelia?"
As one of the most prominent officials in Congress, other than the President himself, Mr. Greyvis' office is very simple. The office, with an area similar to Amelia's dorm room at Iphamene, is filled with filing cabinets and case files.
When it was her turn, the elevator cabin was already full, but perhaps the man with freckles near the door was unexpectedly stunned by Amelia's beauty. He deliberately squeezed himself to make room for her, ignoring the complaints from the crowd, and gave Amelia a smile.
"Come on, there's still room for one more. Missing this would be another ten minutes."
Amelia's gaze swept over the bushy, half-black and half-gray hair on Mr. Greyvis' temples, and a sense of respect couldn't help but arise in her heart.
As the Director of Security scrutinized her, Amelia also sized up Travers Greyvis. This was the second time she had come close to this powerful official since entering Congress: He was wearing a sharp, black suit with a retro style. The buttons of his dress shirt were all neatly buttoned, and despite working for a day, there were hardly any wrinkles in his shirt or pants. Even the polished tip of his shoe showed little sign of creasing.
When the elevator reached the place where Amelia had been looking up at the dim light in the hall, she had arrived at her destination.
The entire floor of the Security Department, which was silent and solemn, presented a sense of awe. The office lobby wasn't filled with many people, which was no wonder. They worked mainly outside, and those who stayed in the office were mainly those responsible for process management and document management.
The queue in front whispered and interrupted Amelia's thoughts. She blinked her brown eyes, perked up her ears to eavesdrop, and the elevator in front of them finally descended to the first floor, stopping for half a day. The stagnant queue began to flow.
"Please come in..."
Amelia still wanted to hear more inside information about this matter, but the two wizards discussing it got off the elevator soon.
But Amelia wasn't as biased as that. She knew that the magic Amostata Bren used at that time wasn't so simple.
Although Mr. Greyvis's tone had softened, Amelia could still sense the aura of authority emanating from the man a few feet away, which was suppressing her from all sides, causing her heartbeat to quicken involuntarily.
Facing a kind gesture from an unfamiliar man, Amelia hesitated for a moment, but eventually stepped inside.
"You are correct, sir. You thought I was not suitable for the job at that time, but you did not provide any explanation."
Amelia pursed her lips, took a quick breath, and then pushed open the door.
When Amelia entered the room, Mr. Greyvis was putting the current issue of the "New York Ghost" newspaper behind a shelf specifically for newspapers. He turned to look at Amelia, and a hint of confusion flashed across his brown, reddish-brown eyes.
"Amylia Det--"
Thankfully for Amelia, the man did not behave like some young boys from school, who love to talk endlessly after her.
"Oh, everyone knows this, but I heard he's here because of the missing magical creatures. He has already sent a serious warning to the Security Department. Those magical creatures that live in environments under close surveillance but still don't know where they went are highly dangerous. If they get out of control in the world of Muggles, both Muggles and witches will suffer."
KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK-
Too much hesitation could cause an overinterpretation by the Security Department employees working in this hall, whose discreet eyes have been following her towards Mr. Greyvis's office. Therefore, with the proof given to her by Chago in hand, Amelia confidently approached the office door, hesitated not at all, and knocked on it.
Mr. Greyvis extended his hand as an invitation, he turned back to his desk and his tone became more friendly.
"You graduated from the Phoenix Academy of Iphamene last year with outstanding grades and hoped to join the Security Department, but I refused you. Is that right?"
Amelia pursed her lips, her tone faintly laced with a touch of resentment.
Mr. Greyvis squinted his eyes as if recalling something, and when he dug up the reason why he refused this seemingly efficient young girl, he smiled and looked at the document Amelia held in her arms. His eyes' light flickered and he muttered with a thoughtful tone,
"Then, Amelia, are you here to bring up the application again?"
(Chapter ends)
